MSC Foundation to champion ocean literacy and large-scale reef recovery at UN Ocean Conference 2025
Hosting two panel discussions on how to advance ocean literacy and coral restoration through maritime and tourism-led solutions

Focus Area: Marine Conservation

The ocean is essential to life on Earth — it regulates our climate, provides food and livelihoods for billions, generates most of the oxygen we breathe, and sustains the planet’s rich biodiversity. Yet today, it faces mounting threats.

The 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC), taking place in Nice, France, from 9 to 13 June, is a critical global moment to confront these challenges, dedicated to accelerating progress on Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14): Life Below Water — the UN goal to conserve and sustainably use the ocean, seas, and marine resources.

The MSC Foundation will take centre stage at the UNOC, hosting two back-to-back discussions in the #ForCoral Pavilion at La Baleine on 11 June that together illustrate how business, science and civil society can team up for the ocean.

The afternoon opens with the Ocean Stewardship from the Helm – Enhancing Ocean Literacy in Association with the Maritime Sector for Thriving Oceans and Healthy Reefs Panel at 14:15. Drawing on the vantage point of the world’s 100,000-strong commercial fleet and its two million seafarers, the conversation will examine how ship officers and crews can act as the eyes, ears and informal educators of the ocean. Mission Blue founder and renowned explorer Dr Sylvia Earle will share her perspective on Hope Spots collaborations with MSC cruises; Professor Ronán Long of the WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute will outline port-to-bridge education initiatives; Marevivo Secretary-General Raffaella Giugni will describe joint training programmes for future maritime leaders; and MSC Cruises Vice-President of Global Port Operations Captain Pierpaolo Scala will offer a captain’s view from the bridge.

Immediately afterward, the focus shifts to Coral Restoration – Using Tourism and Other Businesses to Secure a Future for Healthy Reefs. The MSC Foundation will present its flagship Super Coral Reefs Programme at Ocean Cay in the Bahamas, a living laboratory that pairs cutting-edge research on coral thermal tolerance with the engagement of millions of holidaymakers. Speakers include IUCN Global Ocean Policy Director Minna Epps, Mission Blue Chief Scientist Dr Tessa Hempson, MARS Chief Marine Scientist Professor David Smith, BAMSI President Dr Raveenia Hanna and Iberostar’s Head of Nature-Based Solutions Victor Galván. The panel will explore how tourism-driven models and cross-sector partnerships can secure resilient reefs that benefit both visitors and coastal communities.

By convening experts from research institutes, NGOs and the maritime industries, the MSC Foundation aims to demonstrate that informed crews, engaged travellers and collaborative business strategies are powerful tools in the global effort to safeguard ocean health — proof that stewardship from the helm and restoration on the reef can steer us toward a more resilient blue planet.